U.S. patent number 8,170,609 [Application Number 11/765,983] was granted by the patent office on 2012-05-01 for personal virtual assistant providing advice to a user regarding physiological information received about the user.
This patent grant is currently assigned to QUALCOMM Incorporated. Invention is credited to Liren Chen, Paul Hedtke, Richard J Lobovsky, Jack Steenstra, Kirk S Taylor.
United States Patent |
8,170,609 |
Hedtke , et al. |
May 1, 2012 |
Personal virtual assistant providing advice to a user regarding
physiological information received about the user
Abstract
A personal virtual assistant is provided. The personal virtual
assistant includes a medical device and remote station that is
connectable via a wireless network to a server containing a control
processor and rules engine. The medical device is used to provide
physiological information to the remote station. The remote station
communicates the physiological information and other related
information to the server that monitors the information for a
number of reasons, including determining whether the physiological
information has a trend. Based on the detrimental trend, the server
communicates back to the remote station virtual assistance in the
form of advice regarding tips to help facilitate halting or
reversing the trend.
Inventors: |
Hedtke; Paul (San Diego,
CA), Steenstra; Jack (San Diego, CA), Taylor; Kirk S
(San Diego, CA), Chen; Liren (San Diego, CA), Lobovsky;
Richard J (Brooklyn, NY) |
Assignee: |
QUALCOMM Incorporated (San
Diego, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
39744806 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/765,983 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20080318624 A1 |
Dec 25, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/556.1;
340/573.1; 600/301 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H
40/67 (20180101); G16H 50/20 (20180101); A61B
5/0002 (20130101); A61B 5/7275 (20130101); A61B
5/0006 (20130101); G16H 20/30 (20180101); G16H
20/60 (20180101); G16H 20/10 (20180101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/00 (20060101); G08B 23/00 (20060101); A61B
5/0245 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/556.1
;340/540,573.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Partial International Search Report--PCT/US08/067513--International
Search Authority, European Patent Office--Oct. 14, 2008. cited by
other .
International Search Report--PCT/US08/067513, International Search
Authority--European Patent Office--Jan. 19, 2009. cited by other
.
Written Opinion--PCT/US08/067513, International Search
Authority--European Patent Office--Jan. 19, 2009. cited by
other.
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Primary Examiner: Corsaro; Nick
Assistant Examiner: Chambers; Tangela T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hagler; James T.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A personal virtual assistant system, comprising: a remote
station configured to be carried by a user; an electronic medical
device to sense physiological information about the user, the
electronic medical device coupled to the remote station; a control
processor coupled to the remote station via a bidirectional
communication link; and a rules engine coupled to the control
processor, wherein the control processor and rules engine use a
combination of user input data and the sensed physiological
information to determine whether a medical trend exists and, based
on the determination of the medical trend, automatically provide
advice relating to the medical trend, wherein the control processor
and rules engine are configured to determine whether advice
relating to the medical trend was previously provided and if it is
determined previous advice was provided and that the trend
persists, providing different advice relating to the medical trend
based on a combination of previously provided advice, the medical
trend, and the user input data, and wherein the user input data
includes diet information.
2. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the medical trend is a detrimental medical trend and the
advice is to counter the detrimental medical trend.
3. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the medical trend is a healthy medical trend and the advice
is to promote the healthy medical trend.
4. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the system operates in at least one of real time or near
real time.
5. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the system caches the physiological information.
6. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the control processor and the rules engine are located in a
server remote from the remote station.
7. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 6,
wherein server is coupled to the remote station via a base station
and a wireless network.
8. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 7,
wherein the server is coupled to the remote station via a wired
network.
9. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device is coupled to the remote
station via a wireless data link.
10. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 9,
wherein the wireless data link is a low power connection.
11. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device is integrated into the remote
station.
12. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device is removably connected to the
remote station.
13. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device is connected to the remote
station via a wired data link.
14. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 13,
wherein the wired data link comprises a universal serial bus (USB)
data port.
15. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the control processor and rules engine also use the sensed
physiological information to determine whether an immediate medical
need exists and, based on the determination of the immediate
medical need, automatically provides an alert to emergency medical
personnel.
16. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device comprises a plurality of
electronic medical devices.
17. The personal virtual assistant system according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic medical device is selected from a group of
medical devices consisting of: a blood glucose monitor, a pulse
monitor, a cardio monitor, a variable heart rate monitor, a blood
oxygen monitor, an oxygen monitor, or a blood pressure monitor.
18. The personal virtual assistant according to claim 1, wherein
the rules engine uses a plurality of information relating to the
user, the plurality of information selected from the group of
information consisting of: dietary, activity, emotional mood,
stress, or schedule information.
19. A method for automatically providing virtual assistance to a
user based on physiological information of the user, the steps
comprising: obtaining user input data comprising diet information;
obtaining physiological information of the user with an electronic
medical device; transmitting the obtained user input data and the
obtained physiological information of the user to a control
processor and rules engine; determining by the control processor
and rules engine whether the combination of physiological
information and user input data identify a trend; and if it is
determined that the trend exists, automatically providing the user
with virtual assistance from the control processor and rules engine
based on the trend, wherein the step of automatically providing the
user with virtual assistance comprises the steps of: determining
whether virtual assistance was previously provided based on the
trend; and if it is determined previous virtual assistance was
provided, providing different virtual assistance that takes into
account previous virtual assistance, the trend, and the user input
data.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determined trend
is a detrimental trend and the virtual assistance relates to
countering the detrimental trend.
21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the determined trend
is a beneficial trend and the virtual assistance relates to
promoting the beneficial trend.
22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the virtual
assistance is provided in at least one of real time or near real
time.
23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of
transmitting the obtained physiological information of the user
further comprises: transmitting the obtained physiological
information to a remote station.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of
transmitting the obtained physiological information to the remote
station comprises using a low power transmission.
25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of
transmitting the obtained physiological information to the control
processor and the rules engine comprises using a wireless
communication path to a server.
26. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step
of: determining whether the amount of different virtual assistance
exceeds a predefined amount, and if the amount of different virtual
assistance exceeds the predefined amount, providing an alarm to
emergency medical personnel.
27. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of
determining by the control processor and rules engine whether the
physiological information has a trend further comprises:
establishing a plurality of ranges relating to the trend;
determining which of the plurality of ranges the trend resides in;
and providing virtual assistance to the user based on the range the
trend resides in.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of
ranges are preset.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the plurality of
ranges are preset by at least one of a medical provider or a
caregiver.
30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of
ranges are adjusted based on sensed physiological information.
31. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of providing
virtual assistance comprises providing a message to the user, the
message selected from the group of messages consisting of: a
textual message, a voice recorded message, a video message, an
audio message, a pictorial message, or an email.
32. A non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon
processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a
processor to perform operations for automatically providing virtual
assistant to a user based on physiological information of the user,
the operations comprising: receiving user input data comprising
diet information; receiving physiological information of the user;
transmitting the user input data and physiological information of
the user to a control processor and rules engine; determining by
the control processor and rules engine whether a combination of the
physiological information and user input data identify a trend;
determining whether virtual assistance was previously provided
based on the trend; if it is determined that the trend exists,
automatically providing the user with virtual assistance from the
control processor and rules engine based on the trend; and if it is
determined previous virtual assistance was provided, providing
different virtual assistance that takes into account previous
virtual assistance, the trend, and the user input data.
33. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 32, wherein
the trend is a detrimental trend and the virtual assistance is to
counter the detrimental trend.
34. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 32, wherein
the trend is a beneficial trend and the virtual assistance is to
promote the beneficial trend.
35. A method for identifying patterns in physiological information
of the user, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining user
input data comprising diet information; obtaining physiological
information of the user with an electronic medical device;
transmitting the obtaining user input data and the obtained
physiological information of the user to a control processor and
rules engine; storing the physiological information in a memory
unit for at least a selected period of time; analyzing the
physiological information over the selected period of time to
determine whether at least one pattern exists; determining whether
virtual assistance was previously provided relating to the at least
one pattern; and providing virtual assistance to the user relating
to the at least one pattern, wherein the virtual assistance takes
into account any previously provided virtual assistance, the
physiological information and the user input data.
36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the selected period
is selected from a group consisting of: minutes, hours, days,
weeks, months, or years.
37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the step
of correlating the at least one pattern with at least one
event.
38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the provided virtual
assistance further relates to the correlated event.
39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the at least one
event relates to an input selected from the group of inputs
consisting of: the physiological information and other relevant
information.
40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the relevant
information consists of information entered by the user.
41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the information
manually entered by the user comprises at least one of dietary
information, physical activity information, and medication
information.
42. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the step
of alerting at least one of the user, medical personnel, or a care
giver, when the pattern is not correlated to an event.
43. A system for providing virtual assistance to a user when a
trend in physiological information is detected, the system
comprising: a remote station configured to be carried by a user; an
electronic medical device to sense physiological information about
the user, the electronic medical device coupled to the remote
station; a memory, the memory coupled to the remote station to
store user input data and physiological information over at least a
selected time period; a pattern recognition engine connected to the
memory, the pattern recognition engine being configured to analyze
the stored user input data and physiological information over at
least the selected time period to determine whether a pattern
exists; a control processor coupled to the memory and pattern
recognition engine configured to determine whether a tip based on
the detected pattern has been previously generated; and a rules
engine, the rules engine connected to the pattern recognition
engine and control processor such that when the pattern recognition
engine determines the pattern exists, the rules engine generates
the tip based on the detected pattern, user input data, and any
previously generated tip, wherein the user input data comprises
diet information.
44. The system of claim 43 wherein the rules engine only generates
the tip when the detected pattern is an unexpected pattern.
45. The system of claim 44, further comprising a user interface
coupled to at least one of the remote station or the electronic
medical device to receive relevant information from the user about
the physiological information.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein the relevant information
comprises at least one of dietary information, medication
information, and physical activity information.
47. The system of claim 45, further comprising a correlation
engine, the correlation engine connected to the pattern recognition
engine to determine whether a correlation between the defected
pattern and the relevant information exists.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein the tip also is based on the
correlation between the detected pattern and the relevant
information.
49. A non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon
processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a
processor to perform operations for providing virtual assistance to
a user when a trend in physiological information is detected, the
operations comprising: receiving user input data comprising diet
information; receiving physiological information about a user;
storing the received physiological information for at least a
selected period of time; analyzing the received user input data and
physiological information over at least the selected period of time
to determine whether a pattern exists; and determining whether a
tip based on the determined pattern was previously generated; and
generating the tip for the user based on the determined pattern,
wherein the generation of the tip takes into account any previously
generated tips, the user input data and the pattern, wherein the
user input data comprises diet information.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119
None.
CLAIM OF PRIORITY UNDER 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120
None.
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR PATENT
None.
BACKGROUND
1. Field
The technology of the present application relates generally to a
virtual assistant, and more specifically to a personal virtual
assistant that receives physiological information regarding a user
and provides the user advice relating to the physiological
information.
2. Background
Electronic devices are prevalent in most individual's daily lives.
For example, a large segment of the population has a cellular
telephone. The widespread use of the cellular telephone has made it
a convenient platform for many services. Some currently provided
services include communication, data transfers, positioning
services, such as, for example, GPS services, games, internet
access, banking services, and the like.
The aging population also has numerous electronic devices to help
monitor and track health information ("generally referred to as
"Electronic Medical Devices" or "EMDs"). For example, heart
monitors are available to monitor a person's heart rate, variable
heart rate, or the like. Moreover, diabetics use blood glucose
monitors to track whether they need medication, ingest food or
drink, or the like. Unfortunately, most of these devices require
the diligence of the person to use and report the findings. For
example, self monitoring blood glucose typically involves a person
taking readings and creating a log that may be faxed for
evaluation.
Recently, there has been a trend to use the electronic devices
carried by many people, such as, for example, cellular telephones,
to receive data from the EMDs. For example, a person with a
pulmonary deficiency may be required to periodically use a blood
oxygen monitor to monitor the oxygen content of their blood. The
blood oxygen monitor, when used, would transmit the information to
the cellular telephone platform, or another type of computing
platform, such as a personal computer that is connected to the
network. The transmission from the blood oxygen monitor to the
cellular telephone may be wireless or via a data port. The
information transmitted to the cellular telephone would be
transmitted via a wireless network to a remote server. On an alarm
condition, for example, if the blood oxygen level dropped below
85%, the remote server (or cellular telephone) would trigger an
application of medicine, alert medical personal, such as a primary
care provider, or the like.
While the above provides an emergency response, it does not provide
any mechanism for intervention prior to a medical emergency. There
is therefore a need in the art for a personal virtual assistant
that can review information from Electronic Medical Devices and
provide feedback and intervention advice prior to an emergency
condition.
SUMMARY
Embodiments disclosed herein address the above stated needs by
providing systems, methods, and apparatuses for automatically
providing virtual assistance to correct detrimental trends of
physiological information. The virtual assistance is determined
based on the detrimental trend and is designed to halt, offset, or
warn the user of the fact.
In one aspect, a personal virtual assistance system is provided.
The personal virtual assistance includes a remote station carried
by a user and an electronic medical device. The electronic medical
device senses physiological information about the user and provides
the information to the remote station. The remote station is
coupled via a bidirectional communication link to a control
processor and rules engine that selects advice based on the
information.
In another aspect, a method for automatically providing virtual
assistance to a user based on physiological information of the user
is provided. The method includes sensing physiological information
of the user and transmitting the sensed physiological information
of the user to a control processor and rules engine. The control
processor and rules engine determine whether the physiological
information has a detrimental trend and based on the determination,
provide the user with virtual assistance designed to halt or
reverse the trend.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustration of a wireless communications
system of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustration of a remote station of an
exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustration of an electrical medical
device of an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustration of a base station of an
exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustration of a server of an exemplary
embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the operational steps
for automatically providing virtual assistance of an exemplary
embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the operational steps
of altering information ranges of an exemplary embodiment;
FIG. 8 is block diagram of a memory structure of an exemplary
embodiment;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the operational steps
of providing an alert when scheduled information is not received;
and
FIG. 10 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the operational steps
of recognizing a pattern over a selected period of an exemplary
embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram illustrating a service provider
method for performing a review process in accordance with an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The technology of the present application will be described with
reference to the associated figures. The technology will be
described with reference to particular exemplary embodiments. The
word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example,
instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as
"exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred of
advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, any embodiments
described herein should be considered exemplary unless otherwise
indicated.
Referring first to FIG. 1, a personal virtual assistant (PVA)
system 100 constructed using the technology of the present
application is illustrated. In this exemplary system 100, a PVA
user 102 is provided. PVA user 102 would have a remote station 104.
Remote station 104 would have at least one radio frequency antenna
106, but may have multiple antennas. Frequently, remote station 104
will transmit and receive radio frequency signals over multiple
operational frequencies that may require either multiple antennas
or a single antenna that operates over the necessary frequencies.
Remote station 104 may consist of any number of devices such as,
for example, a wireless computer, a portable digital assistant
(such as a BLACKBERRY.RTM., from Research in Motion, Ltd), a
cellular telephone, or the like. Remote station 104 may be held by
PVA user 102, but would typically be clipped to the user via a
conventional device holder on a belt 108 or the like. Remote
station 104 is described generally as a compact device for
mobility, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that
remote station 104 also may be a special processor uniquely
designed for the above system, a desktop computer, a laptop
computer, a handheld computer, as well as other processors.
PVA user 102 also has one or more EMDs 110.sub.1-n. EMDs
110.sub.1-n may include, by way of non-limiting example, a pulse
meter 110.sub.1, a blood glucose meter 110.sub.2, a oxygen meter
110.sub.3, a cardio monitor 110.sub.n, etc. EMDs 110.sub.1-n may be
separate from remote station 104, such as pulse meter 110.sub.1 and
cardio monitor 110.sub.n, or integrated or removably attached to
remote station 104, such as, for example, blood glucose meter
110.sub.2 may be integrated with remote station 104 and oxygen
meter 110.sub.3 may be removable attached. EMDs 110.sub.1-n provide
information and data regarding the physiological conditions of PVA
user 102. The data transmitted between EMDs 110.sub.1-n and remote
station 104 may be via a wireless data link A between antenna 112
on EMD 110 and antenna 106 or a wired data link B such as over
cable 114. Wireless data link may be a low power connection as the
distances the signal needs to travel are typically smaller and the
interference is less. Low power transmission is typically a lower
radiating signal, which is beneficial for PVA user 102. While
several EMDs 110.sub.1-n are provided in FIG. 1, the technology of
the present invention will be described with reference to only a
limited number of exemplary EMDs for brevity and convenience.
Remote station 104 is connected via a wireless communication
network 120 to a base station 122. Base station 122 has an antenna
122a. Antenna 106 and antenna 122a can transmit and receive
respective radio frequency signals to allow data transfer between
remote station 104 and base station 122. Base station 122 is
interconnected to one or more networks 124. Although network 124
may be several networks, network 124 will be described as a single
network for convenience. One or more call centers 126, which may be
medical assistance centers, and servers 128 are interconnected to
base station 122 through network 124. Network 124 may be a LAN,
WAN, WLAN, PAN using any wired or wireless network technology.
System 100 is shown with a single PVA user 102 and a single base
station 122, but it is envisioned that system 100 would support
multiple PVA users 102 as well as multiple base stations 122. In
these instances, it may be beneficial to incorporate security
measures in the system, such as, for example, biometric
information, passwords, cellular identification signals, or the
like, or a combination thereof to secure the medical information.
See U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/626,789, filed Jan. 24,
2007, and titled MOBILE PHONE BASED AUTHENTICATION AND
AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM AND PROCESS TO MANAGE SENSITIVE INDIVIDUAL
RECORDS.
Remote station 104 communicates with base station 122 using a
conventional protocol, such as CDMA or the like, although any
analog or digital protocol is acceptable. Moreover, while described
using a cellular network for communication and data transfer
between remote station 104 and base station 122, other wireless or
wired networks are possible.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of remote station
104 is shown in more detail. Remote station 104 includes several
components including a control processor 202. Control processor 202
controls the major functions of remote station 104 including
providing computing functionality to process the inputs and/or data
required for the operation of remote station 104. Transmit/receive
circuitry 204 is connected to control processor 202 and antenna(s)
106. Transmit/receive circuitry 204 may be one or more actual
circuits and may work over various protocols and wavelengths.
Transmit/receive circuitry 204 functions typical of such components
as used in wireless communications, such as modulating signals
received from the control processor 202 that are to be transmitted
from antenna 106, and demodulating signals received at antenna 106.
The demodulated signal is provided to control processor 202.
Remote station 104 includes a user interface 206. User interface
206 may comprise a user interface typical of a cellular phone or
typical of the wireless device, such as, for example, a keyboard,
alphanumeric pad, mouse, track ball, touch screen, voice
recognition, microphones, speakers, data ports, input ports, or the
like. The PVA user 102 access, receives, and transmits information
via user interface 206.
Remote station 104 includes a memory 208 connected to control
processor 202. Memory 208 may store data and processing
instructions necessary or convenient for operation of remote
station 104. Memory 208 may include volatile and/or nonvolatile
memory on any suitable media.
Remote station 104 includes a power source 210. Power source 210
may be any conventional power source and is typically a battery
pack. Remote station 104 also may include a data port 212 connected
to control processor 202. While not illustrated in FIG. 2, remote
station 104 includes additional components and connections, such
as, for example, cables, interfaces, circuit boards, and the like
conventional in such devices for operation.
Referring now to FIG. 3, an exemplary EMD 110 is shown in more
detail. EMD 110 has a medical device electronics package 300.
Medical device electronics package 300 includes the electronics
necessary for EMD 110 to perform its intended function. EMD 110
also includes a control processor 302 that could incorporate
package 300. Control processor 302 controls the major functions of
EMD 110 including providing computing functionality to process the
inputs and/or data required for the operation of EMD 110.
Transmit/receive circuitry 304 is connected to control processor
302 and antenna(s) 112. Transmit/receive circuitry 304 may be one
or more actual circuits and may work over various protocols and
wavelengths. Transmit/receive circuitry 304 functions typical of
such components as used in wireless communications, such as
modulating signals received from the control processor 302 that are
to be transmitted from antenna 112, and demodulating signals
received at antenna 112. The demodulated signal is provided to
control processor 302.
EMD 110 includes a sensor 306. Sensor 306 may comprise a sensor
typical for the physiological information desired, such as, for
example, an infrared sensor, a pulse sensor, a pulse/oxygen sensor,
an oxygen monitor, or the like. Sensor 306 should be construed
broadly to include medical input ports also. Such ports may
include, for example, a breath tube, a blood specimen port, or the
like. The physiological information is received by EMD 110 via
sensor 306 and processed as necessary by medical device electronics
package.
EMD 110 also may include a user interface 308. User interface 308
may comprise a user interface typical of a cellular phone or
typical of the wireless device, such as, for example, a keyboard,
alphanumeric pad, mouse, track ball, touch screen, voice
recognition, microphones, speakers, or the like. The PVA user 102
access, receives, and transmits information via user interface
308.
EMD 110 includes a memory 310 connected to control processor 302.
Memory 310 may store data and processing instructions necessary or
convenient for operation of EMD 110. Memory 308 may include
volatile and/or nonvolatile memory on any suitable media.
EMD 110 includes a power source 312. Power source 312 may be any
conventional power source and is typically a battery pack. While
not illustrated in FIG. 2, EMD 110 includes additional components
and connections, such as, for example, cables, interfaces, circuit
boards, and the like conventional in such devices for
operation.
FIG. 3 shows as exemplary EMD 110 remote from remote station 104.
Thus, data from EMD 110 to remote station 104 may be transmitted
via a wireless connection between antenna 112 and 106, which may be
a low power signal to reduce radiation exposure to PVA user 102.
Alternatively, control processor 302 may be connected to a data
port 314 that connects to data port 212 in remote station 104 to
provide a wired data link. Also, some EMDs 110 may be integrated
into remote station or plugged into remote station (such as EMDs
110.sub.2 and 110.sub.3 in FIG. 1). When integrated or otherwise
connected to remote station 104, EMD 110 may share certain portions
and functions. For example, the power supply, UI, memory, and the
like may be shared resources.
FIG. 4 shows an exemplary base station 122. Base station 122
includes a control processor 402 connected to transmit/receive
circuitry 404, which is connected to antenna 406. Wireless
communication between antenna 106 and 406 may be via CDMA protocols
or any analog/digital wireless protocol. Similar to antenna 106,
antenna 406 may include different operating frequencies or multiple
antennas to accommodate multiple operating frequencies. Control
processor 402 further includes a network interface 408 to connect
base station 122 to network 124 (FIG. 1). Base station 122 further
includes a memory 410 connected to control processor 402, and may
store processing instructions for execution. Memory 410 also may
store data necessary or convenient for operation of base station
122. Memory 410 may be volatile and/or nonvolatile on any
acceptable media. Base station 122 may include a user interface 412
to allow access to network personally to access base station
122.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustration of server 128 of an
exemplary embodiment. Server 128 includes a control processor 502
connected to a memory 504, a user interface 506, a network
interface 508, and a rules engine 510. Memory 504 may store
processing instructions to be executed by control processor 502 as
well as data necessary or convenient for the operation of server
128. Memory 504 may be volatile and/or nonvolatile. Use interface
506 provides an interface for personnel to interface with server
128, such as, for example network administrators, medical care
providers, call center personnel or the like. Rules engine 510
contains predefined or generated advice, alerts, alarms, or the
like relating to physiological conditions monitored by EMDs 110, as
will be explained in further detail below. The generated advice,
alerts, alarms, or the like, may include, for example, tips to
reverse a detrimental trend in the physiological condition being
monitored (for example, rising pulse rate may result in a tip such
as "sit down and rest for a moment"), an alert sent to a care
provider or medical personnel (for example, if after providing a
series of tips the tend remains, a care provider may be alerted to
check on PVA user 102), or an alarm (for example, dispatching an
emergency medical team on a dangerous condition being detected).
While shown as a separate component, rules engine 510 may be
integrated with control processor 502.
Rules engine 510 may take many different forms, but one exemplary
embodiment includes a database 800, see FIG. 8, such as, for
example, an Excel spreadsheet. The database would include a PVA
user 102 field that stores information relating to PVA user 102 and
may be tailored specifically to PVA user 102. Rule engine would
have a number of rule entries that are associated with triggering
events as will be described further below.
Referring now to FIG. 6, operational steps for using the PVA system
100 to provide information, tips, advice or the like are now
described for an exemplary embodiment. It is noted, at the outset,
that the operational steps described in any of the exemplary
embodiments are described to provide examples and discussion. The
operations described may be performed in numerous different
sequences other than the illustrated sequences. Further, operations
described in a single operational step may actually be performed in
a number of different steps. Additionally, one or more operational
steps discussed in the exemplary embodiments may be combined.
Moreover, operational steps described as occurring at one processor
may be performed at other processors. It is, therefore, to be
understood that the operational steps illustrated in the flow
charts and diagrams may be subject to numerous different
modifications as will be readily apparent to one of skill in the
art on reading the present disclosure.
In FIG. 6, the operational steps will be described with reference
to a blood test relating to glucose levels, in particular, flow
chart 600 relates to the self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG
test). The operation begins at step 602. First, PVA user 102 will
obtain a drop of blood on a test strip, step 604. A drop of blood
or sample is typically obtained by a finger prick. Next, the test
strip is inserted into a strip input on EMD 110, step 606. The EMD
analyzes the glucose level of the blood sample, step 608. In some
cases, the EMD needs to be powered to perform the analysis, in
others, inserting the strip into the strip input may activate the
EMD. The glucose information is communicated to remote station 104,
step 610. Remote station 104 and or EMD 110 optionally displays the
information on user interface 206 and/or user interface 308
respectively, step 611. The information may be communicated via a
wireless connection, such as a Bluetooth data connection or a wired
connection, such as a serial port, universal serial bus (USB) cable
or the like. If the EMD is integrated or plugged into the remote
station 104, the data transfer may be via ribbon cable, bus
connections, such as PCI buses, or the like.
The following description relates to the case where the majority of
the information processing is performed at server 128, but it can
be appreciated that the processing described as occurring at server
128 may be done by remote station 104 instead of server 128 or a
combination thereof. The information, in this case blood glucose
levels, are transmitted by remote station 104 to server 128 via
base station 122 and network 124, step 612. Sever 128 receives the
information, step 614, and first determines whether the information
is within the allowable range, step 616. If it is determined the
information is outside the allowable range, it is next determined
if the information requires immediate medical response, EMT
response, medicine application, or the like, step 618. If immediate
medical response is necessary, appropriate information is
transmitted to, for example, a care provider or the like, step 620.
If immediate medical response is not necessary, by the information
is outside the allowable range, rules engine 510 provides an alert
to the user to contact medical personnel as soon as possible, step
622. Such a warning may request more frequent monitoring of the
physiological condition and if such more frequent monitoring is not
performed, an alert to a care provider may be provided, step
624.
If the information is within the allowable, preset range, it is
next determined whether the information is trending in a
detrimental direction, step 626. If the information is not trending
in a detrimental direction, control returns to step 602. Trending
in a detrimental direction may be a gradual change over a
relatively long time, or a relatively abrupt change over a
relatively short time. In the case of blood sugar, increasing
glucose levels and decreasing glucose levels may indicate a
detrimental trend. If a detrimental tend is detected, the rules
engine provides a first tip for countering the trend, step 628.
After the tip is transmitted or provided to PVA user 102, control
would go back to the beginning, step 602. For example, increasing
glucose levels may prompt a tip, such as, for example, "take your
insulin shot." A decreasing glucose level may prompt a tip such as,
for example, "drink a glass of juice." The tip may be a single
pre-defined tip for a given rule violation or may be one of a
random sampling plurality of appropriate first tips. Optionally, at
step 630a shown in phantom, the system may check to determine
whether a tip has previously been provided. If a tip has previously
been provided, rules engine may provide a second tip, step 630b,
different than first or at least last tip. For example, if the
first tip was "take your insulin shot," the second tip may be "take
your diabetes pill." While numerous tips may be provided, after a
predetermined number of tips, optionally, the PVA user 102 may
determine a threshold, step 630c, causing a tip requesting PVA user
102 to seek medical advice as the tips are not working as expected
or an alarm may be transmitted, step 630d. While described as
information tending in a detrimental direction, it should be
appreciated the above described system may involve recording and
rewarding information trending in a healthy direction. For example,
if particular activities lower a user's blood pressure, the system
may reward the healthy trend and provide a health tip relating to
the healthy trend, such as, for example, "walking 1 mile a day has
lowered your blood pressure--keep it up."
Instead of basing the second, third, fourth, etc. tips based on
previously provided tips, the system could be established with
numerous thresholds. Thus, a first tip from a first group of tips
may be provided for a first range of glucose levels. A second tip
from a second group of tips may be provided for a second range of
glucose levels, etc. Moreover, the rules engine could be
established for a pre meal and post meal test.
In addition to threshold-triggered alerting and trending, the
virtual assistant system is also capable of performing pattern
recognition. For example, by analyzing the blood glucose levels
over a multi-day period, our system might be able to detect that a
particular user's glucose reading tends to become too high, or too
low at certain time of the day. This maybe a result of the user's
diet, exercise or work load. Using the rule engine, the system
would then be able to deliver recommendations for diet, exercise
and work load in order to better manage the user's health
condition. For example, referring to flowchart 1000 of FIG. 10, an
exemplary pattern recognition process is provided. First, processor
502 selects a range of collected data, step 1002. As described
above, the system may analyze blood glucose levels over several
days, weeks, months, or the like. Next, processor 502 would analyze
the collected data to determine whether a pattern in the data
exists, step 1004. If no pattern is identified, the system reverts
back to step 1002. If a pattern is identified, processor 502 would
determine whether the pattern is outside of an expected pattern,
step 1006. If its an expected pattern, control return to step 1002.
If the pattern is not an expected pattern, processor 502 looks to
determine one or more correlation between the pattern and recorded
events (which are explained further below), step 1008. As
mentioned, the blood glucose level may change daily at 3:00 PM due
to a trip to the gym. If a correlation is determined, a tip may be
sent to the user, for example, at 2:45 PM a tip just prior to the
exercise session may suggest that the user drink a glass of juice,
step 1010. If a correlation is not determined, a tip may be sent to
the user warning the user of the pattern and alerting them to be
extra careful or the like, step 1012. Alternatively or in
conjunction with the alert to the user in step 1012, the pattern
not having a corollary event may send an alert to care givers or
the like to determine if a corollary event is present but not
identified in the rules engine. One potential benefit for the
historical analysis is to capture information that may not be
statistically significant as a one time event, but over several
days, weeks, months or the like presents a pattern that should be
identified.
As identified above, the technology described in the present
application should be provided with a basic input/output system
(BIOS) whether at the EMDs 110 or the remote station 104, or a
separate device, such as a networked computer, relating to other
information relevant to the user's physiological data. The input
information could be events the user, medical personnel, or the
like expect to influence the measured physiological data. Using
this information, and correlating the information to the EMD based
data provides additional information relating to the user's
condition and allows more finally tuned advise that is most likely
relevant to the user's condition. For example, the system would
collect the user's diet information (most likely through manual
input from a conventional telephone, a BIOS associated with the
remote station or EDM, a website, or the like), user's medication
information (this can be done through manual input similar to the
above or automatic integration with an existing medicine management
system) and the user's exercise information (again, can be
collected manually, or through sensors, such as built-in
accelerometer in the EMDs, the remote station, a separate cellular
phone, or the like). After the information are collected and stored
in the database, the virtual assistant would then match the diet,
exercise and medication information with the user's physiological
conditions and make personalized recommendations using the rule
engine. For example, in flow chart 600 an optional (such as between
step and step 628) may be include that determines if the detected
trend corresponds to an event. For example, an elevated heart rate
of the user may be detected. However, it the system may have
additional input indicating the user is jogging. Thus, the
increasing trend of the heart rate may not justify a tip in view of
the additional information.
The above system is ideally performed on a real time or near real
time basis. However, in some situations, such as network failures,
out of coverage areas, the various information may need to be
cached prior to transmissions. When the system is not functioning,
an alert should be provided to the PVA user 102.
Flow chart 700 provides a first determination whether the
information is within an allowable range. For example, for a pulse
monitor, the first determination of whether the pulse is in an
allowable range may be pre-set to a default level, such as, 60-100
beats per minute. While this setting is acceptable, over time the
rules engine should become tailored to the specific PVA user 102 as
described by PVA user 102's physiological conditions as shown by
FIG. 7. Additionally, the PVA user 102 or the PVA user 102's health
care provider may tailor settings specific to the PVA user 102. The
process begins at step 702. Establish initial information ranges,
levels, or the like, step 704. The initial information could be
present to a statistical "normal" range or preset by a care
provider. Rules engine receives information relating to the resting
pulse rate of PVA user 102, step 706. The information range, level,
or the like is adjusted based on the information relating to, for
example, the resting pulse rate, step 708. If PVA user 102's
resting pulse rate is typically 70-72 beats per minute, over time,
the allowable threshold for pulse should change from the default
level of 60-100 beats per minute to one more user specific range
of, for example, 65-75 beats per minute. To avoid false high
readings, a pulse monitor may have a resting setting, a working
setting, and an exercise setting, etc. The adjustment can be
accomplished by any of several methods, one such example being a
weighted average.
Referring now to FIG. 8, a possible database 800 usable by rules
engine 510 is provided. Exemplary database 800 is provided with
particular fields and information to provide an organizational
structure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would
recognize other and different fields and information are possible
without deviating from the spirit and scope of the technology
described in this application. Moreover, numerous organization
devices and methods are possible. Database 800 includes several
folders 802. Each folder 802 would be associated with a particular
PVA user 102. Folder 802 also may be identified by PVA user 102 and
particular EMD 110 in an identification field 803. For example, a
PVA user 102 may have a first folder 802 for a blood glucose EMD
and a second folder 802' for a cardio monitor EMD, etc. First
folder 802 will be described for a SMBG EMD. First folder 802 has
an acceptable range, fasting field 804 and an acceptable range,
post meal field 806. As shown, fasting field 804 may be set to a
default acceptable level of 80-120. Post meal field 806 may be set
to a default acceptable level of 100-180. Folder 802 also may have
a high alarm setting 808, such as, for example, greater than 250,
and a low alarm setting 810, such as, for example, less than 50.
Folder 802 also has a trending up field 812 and a trending down
filed 814. Trending up field 812 and trending down filed 814 may be
segregated into several fields to provide first, second, third
thresholds, etc. Linked to trending up field 812 is a tip field
816. Linked to trending down field 814 is another tip field 820.
The number of tips fields and the number of tips in each field
depends on the fine tuning of the monitoring, the type of monitor,
the type of physiological condition, and the like. Database 800
also may contain a schedule field 818. Schedule field would trigger
a tip to the PVA user to perform the requested physiological
monitoring, such as the SMBG test if require. Always on monitors
would not require such a field, but may have a field to alert PVA
user when information is not being provided by the EMD.
Moreover, database 800 is not a static structure. As explained
above, the fields may have a self learning component to adjust the
ranges for supplying tips. In the specific example of the heart
rates provided, the initial field may default to providing a tip,
such as, "please rest for a moment" when the PVA user's heart rate
trends towards the high alarm of 100. However, if the PVA user's
heart rate is determined to be normally in the 65 to 75 bpm range,
the field may be adjusted to provide the tip "please rest for a
moment" when the PVA user's heart rate trends towards 75 bpm. The
care giver of course could tailor the fields and alarm/tip settings
for the individual user or simply use the default settings and
allow the system to self learn the individual.
As part of the periodic monitoring for patterns, the data regarding
the monitored physiological data and provided tips may be stored
in, for example, server memory 504. Periodically, the physiological
data and tips are reviewed by a service provider, such as, for
example, a nurse, a doctor, a nurse practitioner, or the like. This
service provider would look for an identify patterns not previously
detected by the processor as described in relation to FIG. 10.
Moreover, the service provider may review and adjust the ranges for
the particular PVA user to augment, supplant, or instead of the
self learning procedure, one example of which is provided
above.
Referring to FIG. 11, a flowchart 1100 exemplary of a review
process performed by the service provider is shown. First, the
service provide would display a range of data for a PVA user, step
1102. The range of data would include the physiological data
monitored over a period of time and the associated tips that may
have been provided to the PVA user. Using the displayed data, the
service provider may determine the tip/alarm ranges or the like
need to be adjusted, step 1104. If so, the service provider would
adjust the tip/alarm ranges, step 1106. Using the displayed data,
the service provider may determine an unusual pattern or unexpected
pattern exists in the data, step 1108. If an unusual or unexpected
pattern is determined, the service provider would determine whether
a correlation in the PVA user's data exists as described in an
exemplary embodiment above, step 1110. The service provider may
provide a tip, step 1112a, if a correlation exists, or a warning,
step 1112b, if no correlation exists, step 1112. Using the
displayed data, the service provider may determine the
effectiveness of one or more tips, step 1114. If the tip is
ineffective, the tip may be modified, removed, or replaced, step
1116. For example, if a person is having their heart rate
monitored, an upward trend in the beats per minute may cause a
first tip to the PVA user of "rest for a moment." On reviewing the
data, the service provider may note that the first tip is
ineffective at reversing the trend. The tip may be modified, such
as, for example, instead of "rest for a moment" to "rest for at
least 10 minutes." Alternatively, the tip may be replaced with a
new tip, which may be, for example, "increase your oxygen supply"
if the PVA user is using oxygen. If the tip is determined to
effectively reverse the trend, or after the tip is modified,
removed, or replaced, the service provider review may end or be
re-performed for other tips, EMD, or the like, step 1118. While
described as being performed by a service provider, a control
processor also could determine whether particular tips are having
the desired effect. For example, if after 3 successive provisions
of the first tip, the second tip is always provided, the system
could automatically modify, replace, or remove the first tip. If
automatic calibration is elected, the first step 1102 would be
replaced with monitoring a range of data as it would not need to be
physically displayed.
Tip field may comprise a single tip, such as, for example, take an
insulin shot, or a plurality of rules and tips. The tips may be
segregated into several fields corresponding to first, second, etc.
thresholds. Thus, a first tip may be: take an insulin shot, when
the first threshold is reached. A second tip may be: take a
diabetes pill, when the second threshold is reached, etc.
Alternatively, the upwards trend may be tracked and a different
tips may be provided until the trend is reversed or corrected.
After a predetermined threshold or a predetermined number of tips,
the tip may be to contact medical personnel or the PVA may escalate
to medical personnel who will contact the PVA user.
Referring to FIG. 9 is an exemplary embodiment of a physiological
test reminder. Rules engine 510 sets a flag when a scheduled test
is missed, step 902. Central processor 502 periodically monitors or
polls database 800 for flags, step 904. When it is determined a
schedule monitoring event was missed, central processor would send
an alert remote station 104, step 906. The alert may be a text
message, email, pre-recorded phone message, graphical icon or other
visual or audio alert. When the test is performed, and the
information sent to rules engine 510, the flag would be reset, step
908.
While the above is described with certain features and actions
taking place at the remote station and/or server, such locations of
features and actions is largely a matter of convenience. Many of
the functions, tip generations, etc., can be performed at either
location.
Those of skill in the art would understand that information and
signals may be represented using any of a variety of different
technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions,
commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may
be referenced throughout the above description may be represented
by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or
particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination
thereof.
Those of skill would further appreciate that the various
illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps
described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may
be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or
combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability
of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks,
modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in
terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is
implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular
application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.
Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in
varying ways for each particular application, but such
implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a
departure from the scope of the present invention.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits
described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may
be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a
Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated
Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other
programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,
discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed
to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose
processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the
processor may be any conventional processor, controller,
microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be
implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a
combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of
microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a
DSP core, or any other such configuration.
The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the
embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware,
in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination
of the two. A software module may reside in Random Access Memory
(RAM), flash memory. Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically
Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM
(EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any
other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage
medium is coupled to the processor such the processor can read
information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In
the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the
processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an
ASIC. The ASIC may reside in the remote station, Electronic medical
device, a server, or a combination thereof. In the alternative, the
processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components
in a user terminal.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided
to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present
invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus,
the present invention is not intended to be limited to the
embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope
consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed
herein.
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